Air vent for containers having pumps



Nov. 20 1923 H. E. TUNNELL.

AIR VENT FOR CONTAINERS HAVING PUMPS Filed July '7, 1921 I N VEN TOR.

Hare [T112226]! Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

ma a. rummnt, or new YORK, n. Y.,

ASSIGNOR TO FIRE GUN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC., 01 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Y AIR VENT FOR CONTAINERS HAVING PUMPS.

Application filed July 7,

' such container, and its object is to provide im roved means for admitting to the interror of the container, air to replace the liquid expelled therefrom, and for obtain-v ing, durin operation of the device, a liquid-tight oint along the piston rod means of which thepum is operated. Another object is to provi e novel means for safeguarding against leakage along the pistonrod while the apparatus is not being used. These objects and advantages of my invention will appear fully from the description following hereinafter, and the novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Without desirin to restrict myself to the exact details s own, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred and satisfactory example of myinvention. In these drawings, Fig. 1 is a section through a portion of a container embodying my in-' vention, thepump handle being shown in the locked position; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but showin the pump handle unlocked; and Figs. 3 an 4 are honzontal sections on lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Fig. 1.

10 represents the shell of a container havinga head 11 with a suitable opening surrounded by an inturned edge 12 which engages the upper end of a casing 13 connected at its lower end with a pump barrel 14, which latter is divided into two compartments by a piston 15. This piston is adapted to be reciprocated in the pump barrel 14 by means of a piston rod 16 extending to the outside of the receptacle, through the casing 13, the outer end of said piston rod being screwed into a socket 17 of a handle '18. The casing 13, which is connected with the head11 in any suitable manner, as by soldering, has at its lower portion a passage 19 in communicaoutside of the container during the opera- 1921. Serial N0. 482,918.

tion with the upper pump compartment and with a pipe 20 through which liquid in the container will be alternately sucked into the pump and expelled therefrom to the tion of the device.

The casing 13 is formed with a chamber adapted to contain suitable packing means for obtaining a liquid-tight joint along the piston rod and at the same time provlding a vent for the assage of air into the receptacle, to repl therefrom. ThlS means comprises a box 21 having in its bottom wall a perforation for the passage of the piston rod, and also having at its lower ortion a circumferentiallyextending shoul er 22 engaging a ledge 23 in the casing 13, so as to properly position the box in the casing and s ace it therefrom to form an annular cham er 24. The peripheral surface of the shoulder or flange 22 is in engagement with the surrounding cylindrical inner surface of the casing 13, so as not only to properly .center the lower end of the box 21, but further to obtain a better and tighter joint at this end. The bottom of the box is also formed with a preferably curved seat for a washer 25 which consists preferably of a mixture of asbestos, mica and heavy oil or grease. On its upper side this washer is engaged by the preferably curved lower surface of a separating .member or sleeve 26 comprising a central portion and two flanges which en-- close, in conjunction with the inner wall of the box 21, an annular chamber 27. The bore in the sleeve 26 for the passage of the piston rod is slightly larger than required for the mere easy s iding of this red, for a purpose to be explained below. The space within the sleeve around the piston rod communicates with the chamber 27 by means of holes 28 in the central portion of the sleeve 26, and the chamber 27 in turn communicates with the annular chamber 24 100 tion of the chamber below the openings or 110 ace the liquid withdrawn The ducts 30 are outer face of the sleeve 26 by a gland 32 having a screw-threaded engagement with the upper end of the casing 13 and serving to compress the packing in the box 21. At its outer portion the gland 32 is provided with a sleeve-like extension 33, the outer edge of which engages (when the handle 18 is in its innermost position) a thin washer 34 made of cork or the like and located in a recess 35 formed in the lower portion of the pump handle. This recess also contains another washer. 36, of considerable length and thickness, also made of cork or the like, bearing with one of its end surfaces against the washer 34 and with its other end surface against a shoulder 37 on the gland 32. when the pump handle is in its innermost position.

For the purpose of locking the pump handle in such innermost position a locking member 38 is secured to the head 11 as by soldering or otherwise, and this locking member has inwardly-extending flanges 39 separated by gaps 40. The handle is provided at its lower end with projections or lugs 41 adapted to be pushed into the locking member after bringing them into registry with the gaps 40. By then giving the handle a slight turn, the lugs 41 are brought under the overhanging flange portions 39' and the handle is thus locked against further outward movement.

To operate the pump, the handle is first given a slight turn. to bring the projections 41 into registry with the gaps 40 of the locking member, whereupon the handle may be pulled out and reciprocated, thereby expelling the liquid from the receptacle. The liquid thus expelled is replaced by air which is drawn into the receptacle along the piston rod and reaches the interior of the container through the tubular extension 33 of the gland 32. felt washer 31. the space between the piston rod and the separating member 26. openings 28 in the latter, chamber 27, ducts 29 in the packing box, chamber 24, and ducts 30 in the casing 13. The packing box thus serves as an air vent for the container, itbeing understood that no other air vent is provided in the apparatus. Furthermore, serves to return to the interior of the container any liquid which may tend to leak. out along the the piston rod, particularly during the outward movement of the latter, and which may get past the packing 25. Such the construction described liquid will get into. the annular space between the sleeve 26 and the piston rod and from there it will pass through the openings 28 into thechamber 27, through the ducts 29 into chamber 24 and will be returned to the main space of the container through the ducts 30. During the operation of the pump, the practically constant inrush of air along the piston rod and through the path described above, will assist materially the return of the li uid and will prevent such liquid from reac ing the felt washer 31 and destroying its permeability toair.

The washer 25, which, as described above, is preferably made of asbestos, mica, and heavy oil or rease, not only serves, as a packing, but a so as an eflicient lubricating means for the piston rod, and it has the further advantage of not discoloring the piston or the liquid contained in the receptacle. The asbestos forms the body of the washer, while the mica serves as lubricant and the oil or grease partly as lubricant and partly to hold the mica on the asbestos.

There is a special advantage in the provision of a double seal in the pump handle, in that it gives much better insurance against leakage while the apparatus is at rest. No cam action is contemplated in the locking member 38, and in order to enable the parts to move readily, there obviously must be a certain amount of looseness or play between the handle projections 41 and the flanges 39 of the locking member 38. A comparatively thin washer, such as 34, would not by itself have suflicient resiliency to take up such play, that is to say, to insure proper sealing contact of the washer at its upper and lower surfaces, in the locked position of the handle. Moreover, the resiliency of the washer 34, if used alone, would be impaired soon owing to the pressure between the upper end of the gland extension 33 and the opposing portion of the pump handle. Such washer would therefore no longer provide the tight joint required at this point. A washer of comparatively great length. and thickness. such as 36, however. will retain its elasticity, notwithstanding the fact that in the handle-locking position it will be compressed between the gland 32 and the pump handle, and the range of its elastic compression and expansion will al ways be suflicient to take up the longitudinal play between the handle and the locking member. The danger of leakage along the piston rod during the time that the handle is locked, is thus avoided.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a container, 9. pump comprising a barrel located within the container, a reciprocating piston in said barrel, and a piston rod extending to the outside of the container,

a packingbox through which said rod extends, said box containing an inner washer of lubricating character, a dry outer washer permeable to air, and a se arating member etween said washers pe orated to allow the air entering along the piston rod and passing through said outer washer to reach the interior of the container from a point between the two washers.

2. A structure comprising a pump barrel and a reciprocating pump handle, a stationary member connected with said barrel and having a stepped surface, and packing means in said handle having a stepped surface "corresponding to that of said member, and means for locking said handle to said barrel in a position in which said packing means is compressed.

3. A structure comprisin a pump barrel, a reci rocating pump hand e and a rod connected therewith, a stationary member through which the rod slides, said member having an annular surface and a longitudinal sleeve projection extending therefrom toward the handle, acking means comprising a disk washer interposed between said handle and the adjacent end of said projection and a sleeve washer surrounding said projection and adapted for engagement with said disk washer and with said annular surface, and means for locking said handle to the barrel in a position in which said packing means is compressed.

4.. A structure comprising a pump barrel and a reciprocating pump handle, a step ed resilient packing means held in said handle, a stationary member connected with said barrel and provided with a shoulder and with a projection both adapted to engage said packing means at difierent points of its length, and means for locking said handle to the barrel in a position in which said packing means is compressed.

5. A structure comprising a pump barrel, a reciprocating pump handle and a rod connected therewith, said handle being provided with a recess, a stationary member connected with said barrel and provided with a shoulder and with a sleeve-like jection extending away from said shou der and surroundin said rod, a washer at the inner end. of said recess adapted to be engaged by said projection, and another washer located in said recess and adapted position in which said washers are com-.

pressed.

6. A structure comprising a pump barrel, a reciprocating pump hand e and a rod connected therewith, said handle being provided with a recess, a stationary member connected with. said barrel and provided with a shoulder and with a sleeve-like rojection extending away from said shou der and surounding said rod, a relatively thin washer at the inner end of said recess adapted to be engaged by said projection, and a washer of relatively considerable length surrounding said projection and adapted to be engaged by said shoulder, and means for locking the handle to the barrel in a position in which said washers are compressed. 7. In apparatus of the class described, a container, a pump comprising a barrel located within the container, a reciprocating piston in said barrel, and a piston rod extending to the outside of the container, a packing box through which said rod extends, and a casing within which said box is located, said casing being provided with a ledge adjacent to its inner end, and said inner end engaging the pump barrel, and said acking box being formed with a shoul er or flange engaging the peripheral inner wall of said casing.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a container, a pump comprising a barrel located within the container, a reciprocating k piston in said barrel, and a piston rod extending to the outside of the container, a. packingbox through which said rod exjtends, and a casing secured to the container and fitted to the outer end of the pump and being provided with openings, at a distance above its bottom, for accumulating liquid in the space between the casing and the packing box before such liquid is permitted to flow into the main space of the container through said openings of the casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification. 1

HARRY E. TUNNELL. 

